How to Buy the Right Hobby Farm

Buying a hobby farm to escape the city and move to green acres in the country to raise sheep and lamas is a radical move. But with a clear idea of your reasons for making the lifestyle change, and some research into the property that's right for you, it can be a satisfying and rewarding experience.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Lots of money is involved, so make sure you're happy about leaving secure employment, have the resources to get you started on the farm--like a pension or part-time self-employment--and have a clear plan about what you're going to do with your land.

2. Be realistic about your abilities when making plans for your farm. If you plan to grow lavender for instance, and you're afraid of snakes and spiders, forget it.

3. Make sure you have a realistic business plan. If you want to raise animals like alpacas, make sure you have the right amount of acreage to do it. If you want to grow vines, make sure the soil type and exposure is suitable.

4. Settling into hobby farm life is not about putting your feet up and taking it easy. Those who get most from the experience are ambitious, perseverant, and accomplishment-driven. Remember, if you raise animals you may be getting up at dawn every day to feed them.

5. Don't be put off by your lack of farming experience. Hobby farmers--usually defined as people who don't get their incomes solely from farming--seldom bring hands-on experience to their new lifestyle and still can make it work.

6. Moving to a hobby farm from the city is a trade off. Sure, you'll escape city noise, crime and commutes, and your kids will have a nice place to play. However, you may instead have to deal with problematic wells, distant schools and unpaved roads. Check your prospective farms for water problems and access to essential services before you buy.

7. If you want to bring some city comforts with you, make sure you can. Not every phone system in the country can handle a high-speed Internet access for instance. If you want Internet access where you intend to buy, you may have to resign yourself to signing up for an expensive direct satellite service.

8. Get a sympathetic realtor to help you choose your new home and land. You can check out the availability of small farms with realtors in an area of countryside that you like, or you can check out the small 5 to 25 acre lots that are being parceled out by developers aware of the growing interest in the hobby farm movement.

9. Talk to other hobby farmers who've made the move to an area you like and see how they're coping with the change. You should be able to contact them through your realtor or through hobby farm organizations, such as hobbyfarms.com (a link is provided in the Resources box).

10. Before you find the right hobby farm for you, make sure you will have no regrets about the change. Do not make your decision in a hurry. Consider all your reasons for making the lifestyle change and be sure you're being realistic.

11. The more information you have about hobby farm living, the better. Before you make your move be sure you've read widely and checked out all the available literature on hobby farms on the Internet, in bookshops and in local libraries.

Tips & Warnings

• Lifestyle farms now make up about half of the 2.1 million U.S. farms, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and are increasing by about 2 percent a year.

• Find ways to turn your skills from your former life to your advantage. Business experience and marketing skills, for instance, could be useful in turning pastime farming into a prosperous enterprise.

• Be sure to get your new house and land assessed by a reputable property inspector before you buy.

Resources

• Hobbyfarms.com